La Tomatina

La Tomatina is one of the craziest festival in Spain in which participants throw tomatoes and get involved in this tomato fight purely for entertainment purposes. Everything started in the last Wednesday of August in 1945. The local youth, like most citizens, was taking part in the traditional parade of Giants and Big-Heads figures. Suddenly among the group of boys it came to the scuffle. Next to them there was a greengrocer’s with boxes full of tomatoes for sale which they used as a weapon. The following year, the same group of people started a quarrel and vegetable battle with the tomatoes they brought from home. Since that time this activity has been held every year, during the week of festivities of Buñol.

The festival begins with the palo jabón: where revellers aim is to climb up a greasy pole with a jamón on top. Participants then spend a whole hour throwing tomatoes at each other; by the end of it, the whole town square is coloured red and rivers of tomato juice flow freely.

In the early 50s La Tomatina was banned and later canceled a few times. In 1957 was finally recognized by the authorities of Buñol and in subsequent years began to be promoted as a part of the annual celebration of the city. Since 1980, the supply of tomatoes are provided by the city. Every year the amount of vegetables used in battle increases. Along with this growth also increases the number of participants who are coming to the Buñol from all over the world. In 2002 the Spanish Ministry of Tourism recognized the Tomatina as the Festival of International Tourist Valor.

Attention: accommodation is really expensive during the festival, so be sure that you book it earlier.